Are you planning to take CAT? Then you must have already started your preparation.

As a teacher of verbal ability, I often come across students who wonder why CAT has questions on English Usage. 

Through this article, I hope to satisfy such queries.

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1. Are you using the right words?

As an aspiring MBA, you are awestruck by today's corporate leaders.

What if you are listening to a speech by a manager (someone you have admired and are glad to be able to listen to) and he makes the mistake of saying 'overlook' instead of 'oversee' ('oversee' and 'overlook' may seem similar, but their meaning is totally different; in fact, the two words are almost antonyms).

The manager's demi-god image shatters right in front of your eyes, does it not? This is your answer to why English usage is part of any competitive exam. 

You must remember competitive exams, especially CAT, grade candidates by testing them on the parameters are necessary for a good manager.

No employer/ management school wants candidates who have to be trained from scratch; they prefer to hone the skills you already have. Therefore, to check your potential for the future you have planned for yourself, you get various kinds questions in a competitive exam, including questions on English usage.

To know the correct word and to use it at the appropriate time and place (in short, to use correct English) is an essential skill for today's managers. After all, English is the corporate language of today's globalised world.

2. Are you comfortable with the language?

A manager cannot afford to make mistakes while communicating. Also, if you don't use the right words, you run the risk of being misunderstood. Just knowing the meaning of the word is not enough; you also have to know the usage. 

Every manager also has to have good public speaking and presentation skills (this, after all, is an important part of your job). In order to do so, you has to be very comfortable with the language.

Let us take an example: You are making a presentation to some important clients. All of a sudden, your laptop shuts down and you are not able to restart it (tough spot!). What do you do? If you are good with your verbal skills, you'll pull through without making your nervousness visible. On the other hand, if you are not very good at your communication and verbal skills, only God can save you!

CAT tests if your verbal skills can help you handle a crisis.

3. Can you communicate with others?

As a manager, you have to work with a team. If you want your team to understand what you have in mind, you will need to draw analogies they are familiar with; you will have to explain things from their point of view.

For this, you need to have the ability to relate what seems unrelated. The questions on analogy and the questions based on the reasoning test will tell you whether you have this ability.

4. Can you analyse information?

You might have heard the phrase -- 'Thinking on one's feet'. This is a very important ability in a manager. There are many situations where a manager will need to take quick decisions. This process involves a few steps. You first need to identify and analyse the problem. Then you try and relate it to a similar situation. This way, you are able to relate the information, which helps you reach the correct conclusion.

The same approach is required in solving a para-jumble -- identify the problem question, analyse it, link the pieces of given information and mark the answer, all in a few seconds. This is the kind of quick thinking expected of a manager. The English Usage section tests this ability by posing questions.

Does a reading comprehension not do the same?

5. Can you interpret communication?

As a manager, you will come across a variety of writing styles. Every country, every area, every community has a different style of writing and a different manner of expressing his opinion and views. Similarly, formal communication in one part of the world is different from formal communication in other part of the world.

A manager sitting in one part of the world should be able to correctly interpret communication, coming in a different format, from the other part of the world. This is where your interpretation and communication skills come into play. Hence, the questions on English Usage.

In fact, the English Usage section gauges both a person's English language skills and his/ her decision making abilities.

I'm sure you don't have any more questions about its usefulness. So, start preparing right now. A good score in this section will indicate how good a manager you can be. This is one section where, armed with some fundamental rules, you can score to the hilt.

Know how to ace CAT? Write in and let us know. Don't forget to add your name, age, the name of your management institution, the year in which you passed out and where you work now.

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Jasveen Grewal is an alumnus of New Delhi's International Management Institute. She is part of the Verbal Faculty at Top Careers and You (www.tcyonline.com).